Convair Sailing Club

Want to be a Checkout Instructor?

2010-06-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

CSC sailors,

I am looking for a few good members that would like to become Checkout Instructors (CI) and join the CSC CheckOut Team (COT). The duties of a CI are to perform checkouts on newly trained CSC students and ensure they are capable of sailing our Victories, including take-off and recovery and Man OverBoard (MOB) drills. The students rigs the boat, sails the boat and de-rigs the boat, so the actual work the CI performs is very minimal. For every checkout performed, the CIs receive a financial credit to their sailing accounts, to the tune of approximately 2 to 3 hours of sailing, depending on which boat you take and the day/time you go out.

Remember, were it not for another club member volunteering his/her time to do your own checkout, you yourself would not have been checked out, so here is your opportunity to give back to the club, help other sailors get checked out and earn sailing credit at the same time.

If you are interested in becoming a CI, contact the Chief of Checkout at the email address below and let him know that you want to become a CI. He will provide instruction on what to do as a CI and review all of the CI tasks and responsibilities.

Best regards,

CSC Chief of Checkout

maknak@usa.net

Dockmaster Update 2010

2010-06-20T06:38:00.001-07:00

Fellow sailors,

The remaining months of the Dockmaster schedule for 2010 (July thru December) have been posted to the club website and are available for viewing. If you didn't take advantage of the "Do two DM sessions and you're done for the year" plan, you will find your name and date that you were automatically assigned to perform. If you find that you cannot perform your duty on the date and time assigned to you, you are welcome to contact anybody on the list to arrange a swap with them. It's real easy to do!

When you perform your DM duty, you will earn a $15 credit in your sailing account, but you will be charged a $15 penalty fine, if you don't perform your duty. Also, please note that this fine cannot be charged to your sailing account, the Board of Directors has mandated that all fines have to be paid in real money.

Sometime in November, we will be announcing the 2011 DM signups, so keep an eye out for that announcement and sign up quickly to assure your DM destiny and not be at the whim of the automatic computer scheduling.

Best regards,

CSC Chief Dockmaster

ddieph1@cox.net

Dockmaster Signups 2010

2010-02-07T10:25:00.001-08:00

The Dockmaster program was created to help preclude damage to the club boats; primarily on docking and mostly during the weekend daylight hours. The dockmaster is responsible for maintaining order at the boat docks and to ensure safe and club approved operations are followed. The Dockmasters are comprised of club members, assigned via an alphabetical sequence of names from the club roster, with a morning and an afternoon session for every Saturday and Sunday of the year.

However, we have had a recurring problem during the first 3 months of the year. You see, every January, we have a membership renewal night, but in order for the club to continue to provide the Dockmaster service into the new year, we have had to schedule the current members in advance of the upcoming year's renewals. However, when a current member doesn't renew, like when they move away or they buy their own boat or even due to financial reasons, the club is faced with a situation where the Dockmaster slot is left open and no Dockmaster is available to help the sailors at the docks. Also, if everyone who is going to renew, actually does renew in January, that would be fine, but that also doesn't happen. It usually takes a few months for the membership roster to stabilize, typically around March.

This year, a new signup program was implemented on a trial basis to address this problem. Every club member was offered the opportunity to sign up online for the session(s) of their choice and as an extra incentive, if a club member performed 2 sessions, they would be exempt from any further dockmaster sessions for the year. In addition, club members receive a $15 credit to their sailing account that can be used to pay for more sailing time and 2 sessions would be an additional $30 to go sailing! This new program essentially enabled the members to take upon themselves, the responsibility of being a Dockmaster and at the same time, ensured that each dockmaster slot is covered at the first 3 months of the year. When the initial signups through March were announced, they filled up quickly, so an additional 3 months; through June were opened up and to date, all of the available dates are now filled.

From a pilot perspective, this signup program was a smashing success and we will be sure to offer it again next year! The URL to see who is signed up is as follows:

HTTP://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=dockmaster

Turnbuckle Cotter Pins Problem

2010-02-03T14:33:00.000-08:00

The Chief of Maintenance, Brian Evans, has brought forward the fact that a number of the cotter pins that are used to secure the shroud turnbuckles are installed and turned outward such that the sail (jib, primarily) can snag and be torn from these sharp edges.

If you see a turnbuckle and cotter pin assembly turned in such a way, bring it to the attention of the dockmaster of the day and/or record your finding into the maintenance log. If you're mechanically inclined, you can even turn the offending turnbuckle 1/2 turn and position the cotter pin inward to avoid catching and ripping a sail.

Vigiliance on the part of all members is crucial to preserve the life of all club equipment and is greatly appreicated.

New Port Captain - Lisa Maria Brewer

2010-02-03T14:23:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Lisa for becoming the CSC Port Captain. In her new capacity, she is in charge of all Port operations, that include the proper upkeep of the dock facilities as well as the dock/boat keys. So, if you find the dock box broken or in need of servicing, let Lisa know what is wrong.

In addition, if you find the magnetic stripe card of the dock/boat key doesn't work, she will get it replaced. If a dock/boat key goes missing, she will notify Harbor Island West Marina (HIWM) and have the missing key be de-activated. So, do not take a key out of the blue box and away from the marina area because it will just make the key useless.

Dockmaster Signups Extended - AGAIN!!!

2010-02-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

The Dockmaster Signups have been a smashing success and many members have signed up to do these events. A hearty thanks for all that signed up so far.

These members are not only helping out the club, but also they gain additional sailing credit, so they get to do much more sailing and not have to pay a penny for doing so. Incidentally, the benefit of signing up and doing 2 sessions equates to them having completed their DM duty for the rest of the year, which has some members even doing a double shift (AM and PM) on the same day to "get'er done".

Therefore, if you missed the boat the first time, here's your final chance to sign up and still get the benefits offered. There are open slots in April, May and June, and this will absolutely be your last opportunity to sign up. After June, the remainder of all qualified members (that have not already done 2 sessions) will be sequenced in alphabetical sequence to finish out the rest of the year.

Keep in mind that the Dockmaster signups are open to ALL current 2010 club members and you will receive a $15 sailing credit for each session performed ($30 for both sessions). Go to the following online website, scroll down past January through March and sign up.... do it now, before time runs out.....

http://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?dockmaster

regards,

CSC Chief Dockmaster

Dockmaster Signup Deadline Extended - 2 days only

2009-12-15T06:07:00.000-08:00

Due to popular demand, the Dockmaster Signups have been extended for 2 additional days and there are now only 17 remaining day/time slots available to take advantage of this special offer, where 11 are the shorter sessions and 6 are the longer sessions:
January 30, PM session
February 6, PM session
February 14, PM session
February 20, PM session
February 27, PM session
February 28, AM and PM session
March 7, AM and PM session
March 14, AM and PM session
March 20, PM session
March 21, PM session
March 27, AM and PM session
March 28, AM and PM session
Keep in mind that the Dockmaster signups are open to ALL club members that plan to renew this coming 2010 calendar year and....
- if you do 2 sessions between January and March, you are done with Dockmaster for the rest of the year!!!
- you will receive a total of $30 sailing credit for your efforts, so you can go out and have essentially FREE sailing sessions throughout the rest of the year.
You can still go to the following online website and sign up.... do it now, before time runs out.....
http://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?dockmaster
regards,
CSC Chief Dockmaster

Dockmaster Signups 2nd Notice - Deadline 12/15/09

2009-12-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

To all CSC Members,

The Dockmaster Signups are filling up fast and the cutoff for signups is December 15, 2009 so if you want to get in on this new program, there is absolutely no time to waste. Go to the following link, copy and paste into a new browser window and grab your session(s) now.....

http://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=dockmaster

Remember, you will earn a $15 sailing credit to your account for every DM session that you complete and if you do at least 2 sessions, you are DONE for the rest of the year. In addition, if you want to do more than 2 sessions, you can do as many as 4 sessions maximum!

As a special bonus, whoever takes the January 2, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM session will only have to do 1 session all year!

CSC Chief Dockmaster

Dockmaster Signups

2009-12-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

New 2010 Dockmaster Signups!!!!!

If you want to take your dockmaster destiny into your own hands, now is your chance to make this a reality. On a trial basis, the CSC is offering any returning member in 2010 to signup for one or more dockmaster session(s) and earn sailing credit in your account to the tune of $15 per person per session.

These signups will hopefully alleviate what has been a problem area for the club for many years. You see, every January, we have a membership renewal night, but in order for the club to continue to provide the Dockmaster service into the new year, we have had to schedule current members in advance of the upcoming year's renewals. However, when a current member doesn't renew, like when they move away or they buy their own boat or even due to financial reasons, the club is faced with a situation where the Dockmaster slot is left open and no Dockmaster is available to help the sailors at the docks. Also, if everyone who is going to renew, actually does renew in January, that would be fine, but that also doesn't happen. It usually takes a few months for the membership roster to stabilize, typically around March.

Then, once the membership roster stabilizes, we are able to schedule the rest of the year using an alphabetical sequence of all qualified members for the Dockmaster sessions. However, in an attempt to reduce the amount of no-shows in January through March, we are trying this new signup system out starting this year. In order to use this Signup website, you must....

- be a regular CSC member with 2 years of consecutive membership (waived for this year!!!)

- not be a student or associate member

- live within San Diego County

- not have a physical impairment

So, if you meet the previous criteria, and plan to renew your membership, you can help the club by signing up for one or more Dockmaster session(s) from January through May. The benefit to you is that you can pick and choose when you want to do the duty. You can even pick back-to-back sessions and accomplish your Dockmaster duty for the entire year, in a single day, if you want. Also, if you perform 2 sessions from January through May, you will have met your quota and not have to do it again for the rest of the year! Once all of the sessions from January through May are filled in, then the rest of the year will be scheduled using the alphabetical sequence of all members who did not sign up or only signed up for 1 session in January through May.

Remember, you will be credited $15 for each Dockmaster session you complete, however, if you do not perform at least 2 Dockmaster sessions, you will be debited $15 for any session that you fail to perform. If you have any questions, send an email to convair-dockmaster@usa.net or call (206) 338-3322 and leave a message with your name and call back number. The URL for the dockmaster signup is:

http://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=dockmaster

Victory 631 Bottom Paint

2009-08-19T13:05:00.001-07:00

The bottom paint on Victory 631 has a unique coating called, Ceramcoat, which is a very hard ceramic finish which has no copper in it. The lack of copper makes it environmentally friendly and this coating lasts for a very long time as it can be cleaned a great number of times and not have to be re-applied. As a result, the long term maintenance cost for the bottom is significantly reduced. This boat’s coating was applied in 2003, and in that span of time, bottom paint with copper would have had to have been applied at least two to three times by now, at a cost of $735 per application, so we’ve saved possibly as much as $2,205.

However, while it is great that we have gone “Green”, the problem with this finish is that it has about a hundred pores per square inch and each pore acts as a root for marine growth so that in the summer, more frequent cleaning is suggested, to as much as twice a month. When clean, the bottom looks almost white, which is the color of the clean ceramic.

Recently, one of our newly checked out skippers took 631 and had no knowledge of the condition of the bottom. He had difficulty sailing this boat and found it to be sluggish and unresponsive when sailing with Jib only. After the boat was towed back to the docks, the bottom was examined and the color of the bottom had the color of a brown pair of shoes. When the lower part of the rudder was rubbed with a brush, about a half inch thick layer of growth was removed. This half inch thick growth appeared to be all over the boat and was probably a significant contributor to the boat being slow.

As a result of this finding, a discussion was held with the diver contracted to clean the bottoms of our boats and he said that he would personally “go clean 631 myself in a few days” and added that maybe he should be cleaning it twice a month. So, as a warning to other boaters, if 631's bottom does not look nearly white or completely white, you might think twice before taking it for a sail.

Alex Leondis

Jib only sailing

2009-08-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

The Problem

Many of our sailors are having difficulty sailing the Victorys under jib alone. Although most have been members for several years and some for many years, few had any experience sailing the boats with the jib and not the main up. Since the early 1960s at the Shelter Island Inn Marina, and for the last fifteen years at the Convair Ramp facility, our standard operating procedure was to raise both sails before leaving the dock and lower them only after landing at the dock. Sometimes, if the wind was strong, sailors would use the main sail only, but practically never under jib alone.

At Shelter Island Inn Marina, the boats were moored in slips along the main pier some distance in from the open channel and we experienced problems sailing in and out (without motors). We usually had to tack out under prevailing wind conditions and frequently collided with other boats and the piers in the process. Docking was usually done by sailing into the slip area downwind, and then turning head to wind and nosing up to the pier finger. We were evicted from that Marina when new management proved not to be as tolerant of our activities. The Torrey Pines sailing club was allowed to stay with the proviso that they would use motors to go in and out. They also moored their boats on “side ties” in along the shore where contact with other boats was held to a minimum.

At the Convair Ramp facility, we were able to operate much better because we could land and depart from many more directions because of the dock arrangement. But we still had trouble with sailors coming in bow first and hitting the pier or other boats. Of course they were our own boats so no one complained except the people doing the maintenance. The upshot of all this is that our long time members developed sailing habits in the Victorys that were hard to break. In fact, some of our newest sailors are doing a much better job than many old-timers because they have no old habits to change. It is also very hard to convince a sailor who has been in the club for thirty years or more that their sailing habits are not the best for our present situation at Harbor Island West Marina.

At the Harbor Island West Marina, we have an excellent boat docking arrangement although it is a compromise. We have a slip location that keeps us away from other boats so the risk of collision with other boats is greatly reduced, but the prevailing winds dictate that we sail in and out with the main sail down (The jib would be down too if we could manage it). Except in the rare case of a direct south wind, we are operating from a Lee Dock, i.e., the wind is blowing the boat into the pier.

The Solution

(Jib only when docking)

In order to land the boat safely, we need to reduce sail area as much as possible and ensure a reduced boat speed and sail the boat on a course that will allow the sailor to control the speed. The conflicting requirements of approaching the slip slowly for landing and also keeping boat speed high enough to maintain control is the problem we have to deal with. It isn't hard but it does take practice and concentration.

This solution requires that the Victorys are sailed under jib alone. It takes lots of practice and a review of some sailing basics and is not an easy thing to master in the beginning. The boat is sensitive in its handling qualities and it is relatively light weight for a keel boat. The Victory weight is published as 1,350 lbs in the specifications and with the extra equipment and people aboard, it probably weighs in at about 1,900 lbs. That means that it won't necessarily stay where you put it if even a small external force pushes on it somewhere. As a result, one can't wait around to do things with it. You shouldn't necessarily rush but you should be prompt and do things such as trim the sails without delay if you want the boat to respond as you expect. This means that you must plan ahead so that everything is ready before you attempt a maneuver or operation with the boat or sails.

You may remember from your early learning days that the Center of Effort of the wind acting on the sails and the Center of Lateral Resistance of the water acting on the keel do not usually line up. That is, the wind on the sails pushes the boat to leeward and the water over the keel pushes the boat to weather and these forces are not aligned. The rudder is used to counter this imbalance and provides a small extra force in the water to offset the lack of alignment and make the boat sail in a straight line. The rudder is also used to turn the boat by changing the size and direction of this small force to cause the boat to pivot (yaw).

While sailing with the jib only, the Center of Effort has moved significantly forward on the boat but the Center of Lateral Resistance has not, and this increased misalignment requires more rudder force to offset. That is not a serious problem when the boat is moving along at two or more knots. However, if the boat slows down (as when coming in to the dock), the rudder’s ability to generate enough force to hold the boat on heading or to turn it is reduced dramatically. In addition, as the rudder is turned farther and farther to one side or the other, it begins to act like a brake and slows the boat even further. Then, when the boat slows down, the keel and rudder lose effectiveness and the boat drifts off to leeward. The solution is to keep the boat moving at about two knots until the last part of the approach to landing and to plan the approach to landing so that you can control the speed and allow for the drift (Two knots is about the speed of a slow walk or stroll on foot).

(Jib only when sailing)

When maneuvering out in the channel, the biggest problem seems to be tacking with the jib alone. The answer is to keep the boat moving, so that the inertia of the boat will carry you through the tack. Remember, when you start to tack (even with all sails up) everything is against you. The wind force in the sails is pushing backward and the resistance of the hull and keel is dragging the boat backwards and the rudder force is also mostly acting backwards. Everything is trying to slow you down so you must not delay. You should turn the boat smoothly and promptly and only when you have enough speed to complete the maneuver. If you do not have enough speed to tack, no amount of rudder will make it work. So, if you don't have enough speed to tack, you should turn away and sail downwind to pick up speed and then keep the speed up as you turn back up to a close reach and prepare to tack. That is, trim the jib just enough to fill and no more and trim it as you turn.

You will not be able to sail as close to the wind with the jib alone as you can with all sails up. Instead of 45 degrees off the wind with both sails up, you will probably have to sail about 55 or 60 degrees off the wind with jib only to keep the boat moving. This means that a tack will take you through about 120 degrees instead of the 90 degrees that you are used to. In fact, if you lose speed, you will not be able to stop the turn at 120 degrees and end up making a full 180 degree turn in order to just get back up to speed.

If you are aware of what is happening with the boat and know what to expect, then sailing with the jib alone will be easy and you will be able to plan your maneuvers to get you where you want to go and avoid surprises. Two very important things to be aware of are, wind direction and boat speed. Sometimes, when a sailor is busy in the cockpit with the lines and maybe the passengers, he or she forgets about these for just a moment and, if the heading wanders, you look up and things may have changed. You should develop the habit of frequently checking the true and apparent wind direction and trim your sails and sail the boat accordingly. You maneuver the boat to the true wind, (i.e., tack, jibe, plan your landing, etc.) and trim the sails to the apparent wind.

As for boat speed, it may not be as obvious as it seems; particularly at low speeds, but when the boat is not pushing a lot of water and making waves. The best way (without a knot meter) may be to watch the flotsam and jetsam or bubbles in the water near the boat to see which direction and how fast they are moving in relation to the boat. Or you could lean over and stick your finger in the water in a Victory. You can also look at the nearby fixed objects such as the pier or moored boats or the shore. If you are some distance from the shore, try aligning two things on land such as a tree or bush near the shore and a building or something further back. If the item in the back moves out of alignment in a short time, then you are moving in that same direction.
Be wary of the apparent motion of waves of the water against the sides of the boat. The boat may not really be moving, and the water may just be moving up and down (nearly). For demonstration of this wave “motion”, have someone hold one end of a long line (like a skip rope) and shake it up and down to create waves travelling down the rope. The waves move but the rope doesn't, (except up and down). If you are heading generally upwind, the waves will make it appear as if you are moving when maybe you aren't. You may even be going backwards.

Wes Bachman

CSC Annual Picnic

2009-08-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

UPDATE:

If you're reading this now, you missed it; sorry! The picnic was a blast, the weather was absolutely perfect, there was plenty of food and drinks and a general spirit of comaraderie was shared by all. Kevin, Kris, Tracy and too many more to mention all pitched in to make this a success and it is strongly suggested that everyone attends the next one.... too bad it won't be until next year!

---------------------------------------------
Date: Saturday, August 15

Time: 11:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.

Place: Poolside at Harbor Island West Marina (HIWM)

THE COST IS FREE, FREE, FREE, FREE, FREE

*RSVP ticket deposit is $5.00 per person. All members and guests welcome. When you show-up, your check will be returned. If a member or guest fails to attend, that person’s $5.00 deposit will be retained. Cost is $10.00 per person at the door.

THE COST IS FREE, FREE, FREE, FREE, FREE

R.S.V.P. before August 8th

To: endoftheroad@cox.net

Or: Mail a check to:
Convair Sailing Club
P.O. Box 22981
San Diego, Ca 92192-2981

2009-07-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

Victory Sailors,

I'd like to take this opportunity to invite you to MBYC's One-Design Regatta next month, 22/23 Aug 2009 (Sat/Sun). The Racing Instructions have not been published as of yet, but if my memory serves me correctly last year it was all W/L's, maybe one race had a reaching mark. But I wanted to get the word out in advance so you may plan accordingly. Also, this will be the format in which we will sail the 2010 Nationals, so it might be a good idea for you to come out and familiarize yourselves with the course and water.

I believe last year we actually had four boats come over from Convair Sailing Club...I want to say, Harry and Bill, Greg Anderson, Sandy, and Brian Evans, and we had a GREAT time! This year there will be six Victory's from MBYC sailing in this event. So if you would like to come over, sail, race, and have fun, you are more than welcome, plus it's a great opportunity to get to know one another and build camaraderie.

Pls let me know so I can make dock arrangements.

Cheers!

Dave Love

Victory #552 "Afortunado"

Victory Fleet Captain

Mission Bay Yacht Club

CSC Board Meeting

2009-07-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

CSC Board Members, do not forget Mondays monthly Board Meeting. We will be going over lots of good information, including how to use this Blog!

Collisions, Crashes and Catastrophes

2009-05-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

Problems sometimes arise when sailing boats. They are sometimes avoidable and sometimes not. When avoidable, please do so. When not avoidable, good luck; and hope it wasn’t you fault. If insured, good. If not, have a nice day; but first transfer your bank account to your wife’s name (aaand.. good luck with that).

If you, as a member of the Convair Sailing Club, have one of the above in a Club boat, please advise the Board of Directors (read Commodore) as soon as possible. Further instructions are in the By Laws or Handbook and in the little booklet that is available from the Coast Guard or the Harbor Police called ABCs of the California Boating Law.

Classroom 01

2009-05-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

New members, don't forget that Monday, May 4th is your first classroom session. Hope to see everyone there.

Welcome Aboard!!

2009-05-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the official launch of the Convair Sailing Club blog. Members please feel free to post anything related to Convair Sailing Club or sailing in general.

Happy blogging.